Ghosts of the Past
by khughes830
Summary: Post Ethan's death. Zach is in a downward spiral and someone from his past comes to help, eventually bringing reinforcements.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Believe me, if I owned them AT ALL this P.O.S storyline would be toast and Lavery, Di, and Simone (but just recently) would get mowed down by a drunk JR.  
**A/N: **Anyone else COMPLETELY irritated with the crap that is being spewed off your TV these days? Sorry, I'm just in one of those moods and AMC isn't helping things at all! I have played with some of the events a touch - I like this version of the hospital much better than the schlock the writers came up with. Also, slight homage to James Scott - not going to miss Ethan a bit, but James sure was good to look at!

* * *

Zach flipped open the file and shook his head, willing himself back into concentration. After re-reading the same paragraph five times, he became supremely frustrated and took that frustration out on the file, throwing it across the room, watching as the papers scattered.

He collapsed into his chair, staring at the papers strewn across the floor. It had been a month since his world had been turned upside down – the blackout reveal, the explosion, Ethan's death, his reluctant return to Cambias…

_Zach and Simone were still, staring at the door that Joe had gone through an hour earlier with Ethan. People tried to get them to sit, to talk, to drink some water, but neither one budged. Joe walked out of the door, shaking his head, pulling the scrubs off his body and Zach knew – he knew he would never get the chance to make things right with Ethan. In the back of his mind, he heard Simone screaming, collapsing into a sobbing heap on the floor, surrounded by Joe, Julia, and any number of interns. Zach continued to stare at the door as he slid down the wall, bringing his knees to his chest. _

_Kendall and Ryan flew through the doors, immediately taking in the scene. They froze as they watched Simone scream no over and over again. Ryan went to her, trying to calm her down while Kendall's eyes landed on Zach, curled up in the corner, stone faced, staring at the door to the operating room. She walked over to him and crouched down, touching his knees and whispering his name. _

_Hearing his name come from her lips shook him from his trance. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes and he knew he had to get away, be alone, not cause anyone else any pain or hurt. No one had really believed him about the Cambias curse and now his son was dead, and he died thinking that Zach wanted nothing to do with him, that Zach hated him, and it was eating him up inside. _

_Kendall could only stare as Zach pushed himself off the floor and walked away, not uttering a word. She screamed his name, begging him to turn around and look at her, but he kept on walking like she was invisible._

* * *

_It was a clear crisp day. It would have been an enjoyable day if it weren't for the fact that the entire town was gathered at the cemetery to bury Ethan Ramsey. Zach stood at the back of the crowd, arriving late so that he didn't have to deal with the stares and the whispers. He had let Simone take care of everything, offering to pay for whatever she wanted to do – just to let him know where to send the check. He looked at her in the front row as the priest read the prayers, broken and a shell of the fun and free-spirited woman he had shared a drink with in the casino not too long ago. Gone was the woman that wanted to make things right between him and Ethan, between him and Kendall. _

_Kendall watched him throughout the ceremony, waiting for him to see her, acknowledge her, show some kind of emotion, but there was none there, and that scared her more than anything. He had opened up to her, showed her more emotion than she thought was possible, but that man seemed to be gone and she didn't know if he would ever return. She tried to follow him as the funeral ended, but she got caught up in the crush of people, grabbed by Ryan so that they could get Simone settled into Myrtle's for the time being, until she decided where she wanted to be._

* * *

_Zach dug his keys out of his pocket, wanting nothing more than to drain the two bottles of scotch he was carrying. As he rounded the corner to the courtyard, two men got up off the bench, staring at him. He had seen them at the funeral, staring at him instead of paying their respects to his fallen son. He wanted nothing more than to beat the shit out of both of them._

"_Mr. Slater?" one asked._

"_I'm not interested" Zach muttered, pushing past them to his front door. He threw it open and they followed him in before he had a chance to close the door._

"_Mr. Slater, I am Scott Anderson and this is my associate James Wilson. We are the heads of the legal department for Cambias Industries." This got Zach's attention. He put his bag down on the counter and walked over to one of the chair, sitting down, motioning them to do the same._

"_We are sorry about the loss of Mr. Ramsey and we feel bad about having to do this today, but business stops for no man." Scott Anderson pulled some paperwork out of his briefcase and handed it to Zach. "What is this?" he asked, flipping it open._

"_It's a copy of your father's will." Zach's eyes shot up, staring at the two men. "Why are you giving me a copy…"_

"_Please read part 36A on page…." Zach threw the paper on the coffee table. "How about one of the two of you hit the highlights for me instead." The two men looked at each other and nodded._

_James cleared his throat. "Well, Mr. Slater, it would seem that your father stipulated that, as long as a Cambias heir was alive, that that person should be the head of the company. We didn't make a big deal about it while Mr. Ramsey was alive once he was able to prove his lineage, but now…"_

"_It's falling to me" Zach whispered to himself. It didn't matter how hard he tried, Cambias always came back to haunt him._

"_Now, there are things that can be done if you aren't interested, but that will take some time and most business will have to stopped in the mean time, which would be a shame since Mr. Ramsey was doing some very good work and…" Zach just stared at the two men as they prattled on and on. He listened as they talked about the charities that Ethan had helped in his time at Cambias, about the improvements he had made to worker benefits and to working conditions and Zach knew what he had to do. 'I let Ethan down in his life, just like Michael. There is no way that I can't do this' he thought to himself._

"_OK" he said, stopping them mid sentence. "OK, yeah. What do I need to do?"_

_The two men shot off the couch. "The Cambias Jet is waiting to fly us to New York. We need to…"_

"_Whatever" Zach said, getting out of the chair. "Just give me a few minutes to pack." Zach didn't wait for their reply, just heading to his bedroom to pack clothes._

* * *

_Kendall threw her car into park, wanting nothing else than to be with Zach. Her fight with Ryan after leaving Simone with Myrtle had been the last straw. He wanted to take her out of dinner, she told him that she needed to see Zach. She slapped him with all her might as she started in on how if Zach had just left them all alone, none of this would have happened. He accused her of being emotional, she told him he was an asshole and to leave her the hell alone. She ran to the car and took off, leaving him standing on the curb, screaming at her. She grabbed her purse out of the passenger seat and looked out the window to see Zach getting into a black limo with two men she had seen at the funeral. She stepped out of the car and screamed his name, but it was too late. He was gone and she had no idea where he was going._

* * *

His trance was broken when Edie cleared her throat.

"Another accident?" she asked, pushing open the door and walking in with more papers. He just stared at her, but that stare soon turned to rage as she handed him a blue file.

"MORE OF THIS CRAP" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

* * *

_He had been in New York for two weeks already with no end in sight. Worse than being here with the Cambias vultures were the constant messages from Kendall on his office voice mail, his cell phone, through the secretary. He couldn't bear to call her back, not when all of this was hanging over his head, weighing him down. He was sitting in a meeting, being brought up to speed when the doors to the boardroom were thrown open._

"_Everyone stop right now" the man said, walking over to Zach. Zach stood up and took the blue file from the man. "What is this!" Zach demanded._

"_It is a temporary injunction to stop you from conducting the business of Cambias Industries. Ryan Lavery is suing for control of the company, saying that Ethan Ramsey hand picked him to be in charge. You have been served, Mr. Slater." Zach was stunned and could only stare as the man left, leaving him reeling. The lawyers immediately took the papers from him and started reading. They pulled out their cell phones and started making calls. By that night, Zach was back in charge, but only temporarily, until a full shareholders meeting could be called and a vote could be taken._

Zach skimmed the file and slammed it down on the desk, rattling everything in the room, including Edie. He stalked around his desk and headed out of the office, toward the elevators.

"Where are you going?" she asked, running behind him.

"To the bar" he growled out, punching the button. He didn't even look at her as the elevator door closed. Edie sighed and collapsed at her desk. Zach was stretched thin and on the brink of losing it. Everyone's job was hard right now and Edie knew she couldn't do anymore than she already was. Edie opened her desk drawer and pulled out a small black book. She flipped a couple of pages until she found the information she needed. She thought for a moment, but knew she had no choice. She picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hey, it's Edie…. Yeah, I know… Not so good… yeah, I do, I think you need to get here as soon as humanly possible."

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1. Really, it's quite witty. I'm very proud of myself!

* * *

Kendall spent three days trying to track him down, three days trying to make him see her. He hadn't been back to the condo since one of the bellhops let it slip that he had returned from New York City. She stepped out of her car and handed her keys to the valet, smiling at him.

"Have you seen him today?" She could see the hesitation in his eyes and she just nodded. "No need to say anything. You told me all I need to know." She threw open the doors and squared her shoulders, eyeing the concierge behind the desk. She stormed the front desk, slamming her hands down on the countertop. "I want to see Zach Slater RIGHT now" she yelled at the man behind the counter. Kendall had an audience. Leaning on the far side of the counter was a young woman, with red hair and brown eyes that gleamed with knowledge, watching the scene unfold with guarded interest.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Hart, but Mr. Slater isn't seeing anyone today."

Kendall glared at the man. "Is he even here?"

The man gulped and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Ms. Hart, but I just don't know."

Kendall narrowed her eyes and pointed at him. "Why are you lying to me? The valet confirmed that he was here. I want to talk to him RIGHT NOW!" Knowing better than to try to tangle with Kendall Hart, the man scurried into the back room. Kendall let out a breath and glanced over at the woman who was staring at her with a slight smirk on her face.

Kendall whipped around and faced the woman. "Can I help you with something?"

The woman just smiled, shaking her head slightly. "I'm sorry, but you're Kendall Hart, right. I love Fusion products – it's all I wear."

"Glad I can help the masses" Kendall muttered, rolling her eyes and turning back to the concierge when she saw Edie walking toward her out of the corner of her eye.

"Edie" she yelled, stopping Edie in her tracks. Kendall failed to notice the glance Edie sent over her shoulder to the red-headed woman, who was laughing silently and shrugging her shoulders. She quickly turned her attention back to Kendall.

"Where is Zach? I want to see him now!"

"I'm sorry, Kendall, but I can't… not right now, but I can tell him…"

Kendall could feel the tears forming behind her eyes, doing her best to keep them at bay. "Oh, tell him what Edie. Yeah, cause he's been getting ANY of my messages. The least he can do is call me back, you know, me, the fiancée! No, you know what, you can tell him something for me. You can tell him that he can't keep avoiding me. Sooner or later he's going to have to deal with me!"

With that, Kendall spun on her heel, heading back to the front entrance. Kendall glared at the woman leaning against the counter, smiling at her.

"It was nice to meet you" the woman yelled at Kendall's retreating form. Edie came up next to her as they both watched her berate the valet for not having her car waiting for her and listened as she peeled out of the front drive.

The woman looked over at Edie and smiled. "So, that's Kendall Hart, huh? She's something else, isn't she?" Edie just shook her head. "You have no idea, really. They are actually a perfect match."

The woman pushed herself off the counter and straightened her shoulders. "Where is he?"

Edie flipped open her phone, making sure she knew where her boss was before walking the casino. She nodded and closed her phone, dropping it back into her pocket. "He's in the bar in the high rollers section. I'll take you over there and we'll get your bags up to the suite." Edie waved for one of the bellhops to take the bags and directed him to Zach's suite. The two women didn't speak a lot as they walked, preparing themselves for a drunk Zach.

* * *

They stood in the doorway, silently as Zach brooded at the bar. They looked at each other and Edie nodded, walking away. She could only watch this man. This was not the Zach she knew, not by a long shot. This shell of a man in front of her was not the confident, suave, brilliant man she had known for so long, and she silently cursed herself for not coming right away. It was like the man she knew for all those years had disappeared in a short period of time and it hurt. She watched as Zach waved the bartender over for another refill. The bartender glanced up at her as he started to pour and she shook her head at him, indicating that he needed to cut Zach off. The bartender quickly pulled the bottle back and stood there, staring at her. Zach looked up at the man and followed his eyes, turning on the stool. The moment she came into view, tears filled his eyes and he felt like he couldn't breath.

She leaned against the door frame, smiling at him. "I heard I was needed."

He stood up, staring at her. "Elizabeth" he whispered under his breath, walking toward her. He quickly crossed the room, pulling her into a bear hug. She rubbed his shoulders and let him cry, telling him that she was here to help him put his life back together.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: ... **and my fun begins!

* * *

Kendall barely slept that night and she found herself pacing her condo, back and forth, back and forth. She had spent the better part of the night calling everywhere to find Zach, to see if he would talk to her. She left him voicemail after voicemail and finally got someone at the casino to tell her that Zach had put a 'do not disturb' message on the phone to his suite. Kendall was barely keeping it together, so she called Bianca and talked to her till she practically fell asleep on the phone.

She looked at her watch and saw that it was 7:45. She knew it was early, but she couldn't take it anymore. "Screw it" she screamed at her walls. She grabbed her purse and coat and headed out.

* * *

Kendall took a deep breath and started pounding on the door of Zach's two bedroom suite. "Open the damn door, Zach!" she yelled, pounding on the door with both hands, refusing to give up till he opened the door. She pulled back and huffed, ready to start pounding again when the door flew open.

Kendall was shocked. In front of her was the red-headed woman from the lobby in pajama pants and black tank top, toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. Kendall's eyes became as wide as saucers as this woman looked her up and down. "Hesh no ere" she said over her toothbrush. Kendall just stared at the woman, who motioned for her to come in. Kendall followed as she walked back into the bathroom. Kendall glanced around the room, making sure she had the right place.

Kendall stalked over to the main bathroom, staring the woman as she spit out her toothpaste and cleaned up. She glanced up in the mirror and smiled at Kendall, which set Kendall off.

"What the hell did you say?" she screamed. The woman turned and leaned against the sink, crossing her arms over her chest. "I said, he's not here."

"What… when… where… where is he?" Kendall sputtered out.

"He had to fly to New York this morning, but he said he would be back sometime later tonight" she said, pushing past Kendall. Kendall could only gawk as she walked into the second bedroom. The woman looked up at Kendall as she dug through a suitcase. "I'm going to get dressed, Kendall. Why don't you have a seat?"

With that, she shut the door in Kendall's face. Kendall's world was spinning out of control right in front of her. She collapsed on the couch, a million thoughts running through her mind all at once, but at the forefront was the thought that maybe Zach had given up on her, had not waited for her like he said he would. Kendall was silent as this woman reappeared. She watched her move around the room, picking up papers and ordering breakfast all at the same time. Kendall noticed that she looked at her and she realized that this woman was talking to her.

Kendall shook her head. "What?"

This woman smirked. "I asked if you want some breakfast." Getting no response, she turned her attention back to the phone. "You know what, just bring two of what I just ordered. Thanks." The woman hung up the phone and crossed the room and sat in the chair across from Kendall, smiling at her.

"Who ARE you?" Kendall finally asked, feeling overwhelmed and more than a little confused.

She just smiled at Kendall. "I was wondering when you were finally going to get around to that. I really should have introduced myself yesterday, but you seemed a little preoccupied. I'm Elizabeth Slater."

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **OK, so I didn't think that chapters 2 and 3 would get people as riled up as they did. I wasn't going to update till tomorrow, but found myself without much of a choice. Enjoy!

* * *

Kendall would have sworn that time stopped. 'Elizabeth Slater, Elizabeth Slater, Elizabeth Slater' kept running through her head over and over again. Kendall felt like she couldn't breathe and she dropped her head, trying to remember to take in breaths. Elizabeth was next to her in a heartbeat.

"Oh my God, Kendall, are you alright? I shouldn't have just blurted that out, but…"

Kendall looked up at her, tears bright in her eyes. "You said… your name… Elizabeth… Slater?" Elizabeth just nodded and the tears fell down Kendall's face. She buried her head in her hands, sobbing. "He… he said he would wait… I was so mad, but after Ethan… I love him and he didn't wait for me… and he… he moved on and remarried…"

"OH MY GOD" Elizabeth cried. Kendall's head shot up to see Elizabeth laughing. "I'm not his WIFE. Good Lord!"

Kendall just shook her head. "But, you said… Slater, so I just." Elizabeth smiled warmly at her, patting her shoulder. "Kendall, I'm his sister, well, kind of his sister. It's a whole…" Kendall was floored. "You're a Cambias?" Elizabeth just shook her head. "No, I'm a Slater. I'm Zach Slater's sister." Kendall just stared at her in utter confusion, not understanding the difference.

With that, there was a knock at the door. Elizabeth walked over and opened the door. Their food was rolled in and they both stayed silent until the bellhop left. Elizabeth rolled the tray over and set up the food on the table. She sat back down and sighed. "I guess you would like to know." Kendall just nodded. "Fine, but you have to eat. Zach will have my ass if I keep you from keeping your strength up." Kendall grabbed a plate and filled it up quickly, wanting Elizabeth to get on with the story. As she took her first bite, Elizabeth started talking.

_It was 15 years ago. Elizabeth was 15 years old, a sophomore in high school. She lived with her parents and her older brother, Zach, at their vineyard in Northern California. Her brother, 10 years her senior, was home from college, running the vineyard with her parents. One afternoon, she was sitting in the office, working on a paper when a man walked in. She looked up and stared at him, not recognizing him._

"_Can I help you?"_

"_Yeah, I'm looking for Zach. Is he around?" Elizabeth picked up the phone and paged her brother. A few minutes later, he came through the back door and stopped in his tracks, staring at the man. "Alex?" he asked and the man nodded. Elizabeth watched the reunion. The men hugged and laughed. Zach pulled back and stared at Alex. _

"_What are you doing here?"_

_Alex ran his hand through his hair. "Well, I guess… I had to get out. I could see what my father was starting to do to me, so I had to get out."_

"_Did you…" Alex just nodded and Zach immediately understood. Elizabeth, on the other hand, did not._

_Elizabeth cleared her throat and the two men looked at her. "Someone want to clue men in?" Alex looked down at the younger woman and smiled. "You must be Elizabeth. I've seen lots and lots of pictures of you. I'm Alex Cambias." He stretched his hand out to her. Elizabeth was immediately taken with her brother's friend. Elizabeth shook his hand. "Nice to meet you Alex."_

_Alex smiled at her and turned back to Zach. "I just…I need a place to…" Zach held up his hand. "You can stay here. C'mon, let's go find Dad."_

_Elizabeth cornered her mother in the kitchen later that night, wanting to know about the stranger sleeping in the guest room. Her mother explained. Alex and Zach knew each other from college, meeting on the first day of classes. Alex and Zach became attached at the hip, doing everything together. Elizabeth's parents took an immediate liking to Alex and included him whenever they could, since Elizabeth's mother knew Alex's father wasn't the greatest of dads. _

"_What do you mean?"_

_Julie Slater set the knife down and turned to her daughter. "Well, I met him one weekend I went to visit your brother. You and Dad stayed here, so it was just me. I ended up going out to dinner with your brother, Alex, and his father. I could immediately tell that Alex was uncomfortable with the whole situation. Hell, he paid more attention to your brother than to his own son that night. Mr. Cambias… well, he just said some creepy things that night, about Alex and the plans for him and about their family… it was just a strange night. That was the only time I met Alex's father, but Zach would tell me stories periodically. Then, they graduated and Alex seemed to fall off the face of the planet. Your brother tried for a year to get in touch with him, to find him, but either messages wouldn't get returned or he would get the run around from staff and employees. Zach eventually gave up and… well, this is the first time your brother has seen him in years."_

_Elizabeth just nodded and that was all that was ever said about the conversation. Alex ended up staying with them and working with John Slater and Zach at the vineyard every day. Alex wanted to learn every aspect of the business and took to working the front office with Edie, John Slater's office manager. _

_Life went on for the Slater family. The business was successful, Zach and Alex managed the property while John Slater traveled, selling their product. One of them would always be on site. Sometimes Zach traveled with her father, sometimes Alex would. Those trips always excited Alex – he would come back telling stories and proud when he would make a sell._

_It was one of those trips that changed their lives forever. It was a rainy Sunday night. Zach, John and Julie had taken product to a wine tasting expo in Southern California that weekend and were expected back late Sunday night. Alex and Elizabeth were in the living room, Alex watching TV and Elizabeth working on a paper that was due in school the next day. She was a senior and was busting her ass to graduate at the top of her class. This AP paper was a fourth of her grade for the year, so she was concentrating solely on that. She failed to notice how late it was getting and how Alex kept checking the time and glancing out the window, waiting for headlights to illuminate the driveway. _

_It was close to midnight before lights came up the drive. Elizabeth had fallen asleep on the couch and Alex was standing vigil at the window. He had called Edie about an hour ago, to see if she had heard from the Slaters. She had not, but said for him to call the minute she heard anything. Alex ran through the house and threw open the door to find two state troopers standing there, looking at him with sad eyes. Alex knew in that moment what had happened, knowing that things had just changed completely. He called Edie and she flew to the house. Together, they woke up Elizabeth and told her what happened. She curled up next to Alex, sobbing uncontrollably, trying to process the loss of her entire family in an instant._

_Elizabeth, Alex, and Edie banded together, getting each other through the grief. The vineyard had been left to Elizabeth, with the stipulation that she finish college before taking legal control of the business. Alex and Edie immediately agreed to run the vineyard while she finished high school and went to college. So, life went on for the three of them. They quietly celebrated Elizabeth's graduation from high school and moved her to Stanford for college. Elizabeth came home most weekends and on all breaks to help run the vineyard. She had grown attached to Edie and Alex since her family had died, thinking of them as her new family._

_It was Christmas break her freshman year. It was a few days after Christmas, which was a slow time for them. Elizabeth was working the front office while Edie ran some errands when the door opened. An older man, dressed to the nines, came waltzing in like he owned the place. Elizabeth immediately got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach._

"_Can I help you?"_

_The older man looked down at Elizabeth, sizing her up. "My name is Alexander Cambias. I got word through an associate that a man resembling my eldest son worked here." Alexander pulled a picture out of his pocket and showed it to Elizabeth. It was a picture of Alex and a younger boy, his brother, she assumed. "Is this man here? Have you seen him?" Elizabeth saw Alex rounding the corner toward the front office and watched him stop, frozen in his spot, terror written across his face. He slipped back around the corner immediately. Elizabeth remembered the story her mother had told her when Alex had first arrived and she knew she had to protect him. _

_Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm sorry, sir, but no one here resembles this man" she said as she handed the picture back to him. Instead of taking the picture, Alexander grabbed her wrist, pulling her out of her chair. "Are you sure about that?" he hissed at her._

_Elizabeth was truly scared in this moment, but she knew she had to protect this man that had kept her going all these months. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I've never seen your son, nor have I ever seen anyone that resembles your son. I know every employee here and a man that looks like him is not among them." Alexander dropped her wrist. Elizabeth stood her ground as the older man turned on his heel and walked out the door. Elizabeth watched him enter the limo and pull away. She waited a few minutes before going to find Alex, wanting to make sure that this man had really left. _

_She found him in a corner, knees pulled up to his chest, head resting on his knees. Elizabeth slid down the wall next to him. "He's gone" she whispered and he just nodded his head. _

"_I'm going out on a limb here and guess that that man was the reason you're here." Again, Alex nodded. She tapped him on the shoulder and he finally looked up at her. "OK, so I just got rid of your dad, so now you're going to tell me the story." Without hesitation, Alex launched into the story of his family and why and how he managed to get away from his father. Elizabeth was shocked that someone would go to those lengths to get away from their family, but after meeting Alexander Cambias, she could sympathize._

_They sat silently after Alex finished his story. "You need to change your name" she said, breaking the silence. Alex just looked at her. "What?" he asked._

"_Alex, it's just going to be a matter of time before someone finds you for real. This was close, and apparently your father doesn't believe you are really dead. You have to change your name and leave."_

"_I'm not leaving you."_

"_Alex, you have to consider that…"_

_Alex just shook his head. "No. I'll change my name, but I gave you and Edie my word that I would stick around and run this place. You aren't dropping out of school. Once you're done, we'll talk, but for now, this conversation is over." Elizabeth just nodded, knowing that fighting with him was futile. Alex smiled at her. "So, what should my new name be?" _

_It hit Elizabeth immediately. "Zach Slater. Take my brother's name. He would want you to be safe. It's the only way." Alex shook his head, refusing immediately, but after listening to Elizabeth's passionate argument, he finally gave in. So, without much ado and notice, Alex Cambias quietly and quickly became Zach Slater. It took Edie and Elizabeth months before they finally called him Zach and not 'Alex, I mean Zach'. _

_Elizabeth flew through college, graduating a semester early. After graduation, she came back and immediately received an offer from someone who wanted to buy the vineyard. It was very successful and Edie and Zach had been turning down offers for years, wanting Elizabeth to make the final decision. After much talking between the three of them, they agreed, but only if Zach agreed to split the money equally with Elizabeth. She knew of his plans to own gaming facilities, so she made Zach promise to take the money and Edie and start his business. Zach tried to protest, but Elizabeth was resolute. She wanted to travel and she wanted to know that Zach and Edie were taken care of, and this was the only way. Two months later, all was settled and they moved on, Elizabeth leaving for Europe and Zach and Edie traveling to Las Vegas to start the casino. Elizabeth and Zach stayed in constant contact, seeing each other as time and location permitted._

Kendall was stunned. Her food got cold as Elizabeth told her this story. Hearing about what Zach did for Elizabeth only made her love him even more.

Elizabeth sighed, looking at Kendall. "So, Edie called me after Ethan died and gave me the run down. I told her to keep me postedand to let me know if I was needed, which she did four days ago. So, that's why I'm here."

Kendall could barely process all this information when the next question came from Elizabeth. "So, Kendall, I guess my question to you is, now what?" Kendall could only stare, looking at Elizabeth's expectant face, waiting for an answer that Kendall was struggling to find.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **ok, so anything written below is purely in fun and jest. Just so you all know that I, myself, spent two years living in a sorority house and I also find myself with a slight girl crush on Kendall, especially when she is putting people in their place!

* * *

Zach barely glanced up at Elizabeth as she strolled into his office and plopped down in one of his visitors' chairs, kicking her feet up on his desk.

"It's late" he growled out to her, never taking his eyes off the report in front of him.

Elizabeth smiled at him, knowing that he was paying no attention to her, but she was about to change that. "I didn't know you were back or I would have invited you to join us for dinner." That got that the expected reaction – Zach looked up at her. "Us?"

Elizabeth just shook her head. "That ex-wife, fiancée of yours sure is a firecracker." Zach groaned and dropped his head on the desk. Elizabeth just laughed and continued on. "She's mouthy, sassy, demanding and can bring the bitch better than anyone I've ever met – and that's saying a lot considering I lived in the sorority house for two years. I think I may have a little girl crush on her."

Zach shot his head up and glared at Elizabeth, who chose to ignore him. "You know what I like most about her?" Zach sighed and got out of his chair, pacing around his office. "Can we PLEASE not talk about Kendall?" he pleaded with her.

"No. What I like most about her is how much she loves you." Elizabeth looked over her shoulder as Zach froze mid pace, staring at her. Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders, staring at him as he sank down on the couch, burying his head in his hands.

"She said she was done with me."

Elizabeth walked over and sat down next to him. "She lied. She was pissed, which she has ever right to be. By the way, brother, next time you want to do something so supremely stupid, call me first so I can talk you out of it!"

He looked up at her. "I can't drag her into this life, this chaos I've got going on right now. It isn't fair to her to…"

"Blah, blah, blah… Cambias curse… blah, blah, and blah" Elizabeth mocked at him, waving her hands around. "Do you love her?"

"More than anything."

"Then you make it work."

"How?"

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Well, that's why I'm here." Her cryptic words made Zach nervous. "I need a drink" he said, pushing himself off the couch. Elizabeth grabbed his arm, stopping him. "No, Zach, you need some sleep." Elizabeth didn't even give him a chance to answer, pulling him through his office and toward the suite.

* * *

Elizabeth strolled into the Cambias offices, determined to drag Zach out of the office for an hour for lunch. He barely slept the night before and was up and gone before dawn, leaving her a note about how he would be late and would talk to her later. She, in return, left him a message with his secretary informing him that she would be at his office at 11:45 sharp to drag him to lunch and 'no' was not an acceptable answer. She introduced herself to Zach's secretary, who said he was running behind, but would be out in about 10 minutes, ready to go to lunch. Elizabeth laughed as the secretary regaled her with the tale of fighting with Zach about lunch this morning. Elizabeth immediately liked this woman.

She was flipping through a magazine when the outer doors flew open and a man walked in, followed by a team of suits. Elizabeth just stared as he stormed up to Zach's secretary.

"Mr. Lavery, you can't just storm in here like this. The judge has warned you about this behavior." Elizabeth just smiled – 'the infamous Ryan Lavery' she thought to herself. Elizabeth watched Ryan berate Zach's secretary until Zach threw open the doors and stormed toward Ryan.

"Lavery, I don't think I saw you on my appointment log today."

"Stuff it Zach. I'm here for the quarterly reports. The judge said that…" Elizabeth watched these men fight about something that she knew wasn't important to Zach, something that she felt Ryan just wanted because Zach had it.

"Even your father wanted me in charge, Slater!"

Zach got in Ryan's face. "Try to take this from me, Lavery and you will feel the Cambias wrath tenfold!" In that moment, Elizabeth became scared for Zach. She saw that look in his eyes – it was the same look she received from his father all those years ago and seeing it from Zach made her blood run cold.

Zach shoved Ryan toward the door. "Come back again and I'll finish what I started on the courthouse rooftop!" Ryan left grudgingly and Zach stalked back to the office, not looking at Elizabeth, not looking at her as he passed. He slammed the door and she could only stare at the ground. She knew she had to save him again, like she did all those years ago, but she was going to need some help in saving Zach from the hell he was creating for himself. She dug her cell phone out of her purse and found a quiet corner. She scrolled through her address book till she found the number she needed.

"Hey, it's Elizabeth… You'll never guess…. Yeah, I had to come, Edie called and told me what was going on… yeah, and it's bad, really bad and this Ryan guy… yeah, just like you said he would be. He and Zach just got into it right in the middle of the office and the look in Zach's eyes, well, it scared the crap out of me… I need your help and I know you don't want to come back, but I wouldn't be asking if… ok, are you sure… ok, no, don't come all the way to town. Take the bus to Llanview and I'll pick you up from there. When do you think that… really, wow, I didn't realize you were that close. Ok, just call me when you know what time the bus is dropping you off and I'll be there. Thanks." She snapped her phone shut and glanced up, seeing a meek and broken Zach staring at her, ready to get out of the office for an hour.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1

* * *

Elizabeth dragged him around the corner, forcing him to walk. He slowed up as they came into the courtyard. He gazed at Kendall's darkened condo, immediately wondering where she was and what she was doing. Elizabeth unlocked the door and threw it open, pushing Zach into his condo.

He froze three steps inside the door, staring at Kendall, sitting on his couch, surrounded by candlelight and flowers. She pushed herself off the couch, staring at him, running her hands over her dress nervously.

Elizabeth chuckled quietly, dropping Zach's keys on the counter. "Ok, well, you two kids have fun tonight." Zach whipped around, glaring at her. "What did you do?"

Elizabeth gave him and innocent look. "Who me?" Seeing that Zach didn't buy that for a minute, she just shrugged. "What? Zach, I love you like a brother and Kendall… well, she just rocks my world. Fix it. I'm out." She headed out the door, but Zach grabbed her arm first, pulling her back to him.

"You aren't staying?" he whispered to her.

"Yeah, flowers, candlelight, soft music, dinner for two… definitely a party built for three. I've got to go. Work it out." She quickly pulled out of his grasp and marched out the door, closing it behind her. She glanced at her watch and sighed, heading for the car.

Zach turned slowly, looking Kendall over. 'She's gorgeous' he thought to himself. He cleared his throat and walked over to the chilling cider, quickly opening it and pouring two glasses.

"I should… I told Elizabeth that this was a bad idea. You don't want me there, so I'll just…" Kendall grabbed her purse and tried to make a hasty exit, but Zach quickly stepped her in path, blocking her from the door.

"Please don't leave" he whispered hoarsely, trying to get his emotions in check.

She couldn't look at him and it killed him. "You've been avoiding me" she said quietly, staring at her shoes.

"I swear, I haven't."

"It sure feels like you have, like you don't…" She finally looked at him, tearing brimming in her eyes. "You hurt me."

Zach shrugged. "It's what I do."

Kendall shook her head slowly. "Not to me, it's not. You don't hurt me, you… you said you loved me."

"I still do, Kendall, but you said you were finished with me."

"And you said you would wait for me! Was that a lie?"

Zach ran his hand through his hair. "I don't want to drag you into this chaos that has become my life. It's not fair to drag you down with me. You should go – go be happy, have your baby and be loved, find love."

"I have love, I am loved. Happiness is with you, Zach. I was upset, understandably so, but… trying to live without you… it's too hard. I love you more than I thought possible."

Zach tried to turn away, but Kendall grabbed his arm, pulling him back to her, forcing him to look at her. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me. If you can, I'll leave, I promise, Zach."

Her touch broke something inside of him. His eyes became bright with unshed tears. "I can't say that to you, Kendall. It would be a lie if I did and it wouldn't be convincing anyway." Kendall pulled herself to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, reveling in the feeling of her pressed against him again, a feeling that he thought he would never experience again. They held each other, not saying any words, just enjoying the feel of each other.

"Now what" he whispered into her ear, kissing her lightly on the cheek. His lips on her skin felt like heaven and she buckled, falling more into him.

Kendall pulled back slightly, looking at him. "I say we eat and try to forget about the outside world, just for a little while." He nodded at her, smiling slightly as she threaded her fingers through his, leading him over to the table.

* * *

Elizabeth leaned against her car, checking her watch again. It was close to midnight and she was beginning to wonder if this bus was ever going to get here. Finally, lights illuminated the road and the bus pulled to a stop, letting off one passenger. When the bus passed, he looked across the street to see Elizabeth waiting by her car. She waved as he jogged across the street, dropping his bag at her feet and pulling her in for a hug.

"Good trip?" she asked as he released her, pulling his bag off the ground.

"It was a bus ride, so what do you think?" She laughed as they got in the car.

He sighed, looking out the window. "It's been a long time since I've been around here." Elizabeth looked over at her friend. "I know, and I wouldn't have called if I wasn't desperate, but… I have to help Zach. You know what he's done for me and… well, I can't just sit here and watch him slip away without doing something."

He looked over at her and smiled. "Did you get him in the same room with Kendall?" Elizabeth chuckled as she threw the car into drive and turned around, heading back toward Pine Valley. "Yeah, he tried to make a break for it tonight, but I took off with the car before he could."

He just nodded. "And I'm sure Kendall persuaded him to stick around. She's always been able to get exactly what she wants. What I'm struggling with is trying to picture her pregnant."

Elizabeth just shrugged. She glanced over at him. "Hey, did you get a hold of that information you were looking for?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it's all in my bag. We'll look at it when… where are you taking me?"

"I've got you a room at the casino. It's outside of town, so as long as you lay low, no one should see you." He just nodded and watched the scenery as they drove back into Pine Valley. Soon, they were at the front desk, claiming the room reserved for Lane Devers.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **DUNH DUNH DU...

* * *

She saw him across the room, sitting at a table, reading a report and not eating the food sitting in front of him. She walked over and plopped down in the chair across from him. "I've got a plan" she said, grabbing a fry off his plate.

Zach looked up at Elizabeth and shook his head. "Your plans always wind up with me covered in paint or face down in mud."

She scoffed at him. "Those things happened once – ok, the paint thing was twice but, c'mon. You're never going to let me forget that, are you?" Zach just shakes his head and smiles. Elizabeth's eyes went wide and she put her hand on her chest. "OH MY GOD – he smiles!" He just rolled his eyes at her. "Oh, shut up."

She grabbed another fry off his plate. Instead of fighting it, he pushed the plate across the table in front of her. "So" she said "how was your evening with Kendall?"

He dropped his pen and put his elbow on the table, resting his head against his hand. "It was great, but… it's not fair to her. I'm stretched beyond my limits with no help or end in sight. Cambias, the casino, dealing with the unending lawsuits and demands from Lavery and his team of vultures… I'm not going to drag her into the pit with me. I won't do to her what my father did to my mother. She's too good for that."

Elizabeth sighed, hating this self-loathing, brooding man sitting in front of her. "Zach, there's a difference. A big one, in fact. You aren't your father. You got out because you didn't want that life for yourself. You've also got the power to stop whatever curse you believe is hanging over your head. You're you – so stop comparing yourself to your father or your brother or anyone else. You're the man who saved my life. You've got the power and the strength to do anything you want."

He looked at her, confused. "Ok, then how? How do I stop this train wreck from happening!"

She smiled at him. "Well, first… first we have a little fun." Zach just stared at her. "First, we get rid of Ryan Lavery. We take him down for good, get him out of your life and your business."

"And you plan on this, how?"

"Well, I've actually brought in reinforcements for this." Elizabeth pushed herself out of her chair and headed across the restaurant. Zach watched her for a moment, lost as to what she was planning. She looked over her shoulder and motioned for him to follow her. He shot out of his chair, telling the hostess to keep an eye on the paperwork and his table. They made their way through the casino. Zach soon found himself standing in front of a hotel room door. Elizabeth knocked and a man Zach didn't recognize opened the door. Elizabeth walked and in Zach followed.

Zach eyed the man, looking him over. "Have we met? You look very familiar."

Elizabeth looked between Zach and her friend. He nodded at her, indicating to make the introduction. "Well, Zach, this is a friend of mine. I first met him as Lane Devers, but I found out recently that he actually had another name. Leo, I'd like to meet Zach Slater. Zach, meet Leo DuPres."

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1

* * *

Zach sat in the chair, staring at the man across the room from him. "What IS it with men from this town that just have problems staying dead?" he whispered to himself. Elizabeth threw her purse at him and he glared back at her. "Will you just hear the man out, Zach?" Zach nodded and leaned back in the chair, watching Leo as he launched into his story.

_He didn't remember a lot of that night. The last thing he remembers, all these years later, was throwing diamond after diamond off the cliff as his mother held Greenlee hostage. The next thing he knew, he was lying in a bed in small, rural hospital, unable to remember anything about himself. As he got better, a nice family – the Devers – has a farm near the hospital and agreed to take him in, calling him Lane. For years, he worked the farm with them, keeping to himself for the most part. He always felt like part of him was missing and he tried, for years, to remember who had been before waking up in that hospital bed._

_About a year ago, Mr. Devers died of a heart attack and Mrs. Devers decided to sell the farm, giving Lane part of the money so that he could get on with his life. He decided to head out of the states, finally landing in Rome. It was during a tour of the Vatican Museum one afternoon that he met Elizabeth Slater. She was so nice to him from the start that a friendship quickly formed. When she decided to head back to the states, he decided to join her. She left him in Maine, where he worked for a fishing company. He was just coming in from working when he stopped at the local diner to eat dinner. There, he saw footage of the explosion at the Mardi Gras ball. When they flashed Erica Kane's face on screen, all the memories came rushing back to him and it all hit him like a ton of bricks. He raced home and jumped on the computer, researching everything he could find. It didn't take him long to come across his face and for him to find out who he was – Leo DuPres, presumed dead. He read all the stories about his fall over the cliffs, how he took his mother with him and how her body had been recovered the next day but his had been presumed swept out to sea. He saw a picture of Greenlee and remembered her fondly until he found the release that she had married Ryan Lavery, who in turn faked his death. The more he read about what Ryan had done to Greenlee and others, the more upset and angry he became. He spent most of the next few days brooding, mad and drunk, trying to put the pieces together in his head. When Elizabeth called, all the information and feelings that he had been storing up for the last few days had come pouring out. He offered to help Elizabeth if she needed him, and she promised to call if she did. When she called and told her what she wanted to do, he was immediately on board, wanting nothing more than retribution._

"So, why are you here?" Zach asked.

Leo sat down on the bed, leaning forward on his knees. "Ryan Lavery has caused a lot of hurt and pain, inflicted a lot of damage across the board. He hurt the one woman I have ever really loved more than life. He deserves whatever I can impose on him. That's why I'm here." Zach just nodded, seeing this man knew who the real Ryan Lavery was.

Elizabeth grabbed a file of the table and handed it to Zach. "Read this." Zach grabbed the file from her and started to read. The further he got through the document, the more his face lit up.

Zach looked over the file at Leo. "Where did you get this?"

Leo just shrugged. "Let's just say I know some people and leave it at that." Zach just nodded.

"So, what do we do with this?"

"We put it out there at the most conspicuous time" Elizabeth said, grinning wildly. "And how, dear sister, do we do that?" Zach asked, seeing the glee on her face.

"You give Lavery what he wants – a full shareholder meeting with all the media present. Once he gets up on his high horse, we bring him right back down."

TBC…


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1

* * *

The three of them spent the next two days getting everything worked out. Zach felt awful about keeping Kendall out of the loop, but he knew that Ryan was watching her and he couldn't risk this being blown open before they had a chance to bring him down. He hated avoiding her calls and not answering his cell, especially after the amazing night they had spent together, talking through everything that had happened.

Because of the sheer interest in this meeting, Zach had convinced Ryan to have the meeting at the casino in their large conference room. Ryan, being the egomaniac that Zach knew he was, immediately agreed when Zach said that the media would be present. Thinking that he would get to humiliate Zach one more time in front of most of the world made Ryan giddy.

Ryan strolled in and stopped halfway into the room, allowing the photographers to take his picture while he stared down Zach, who was standing up in front of the shareholders, getting things organized. Zach glanced up at him and did his best to fight back the smirk that was dying to break out on his face. Ryan walked up and stood next to Zach.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…" Zach said as the crowd quieted. Most everyone had been shocked that Zach had finally given into to Ryan Lavery's demands, including most of the board, who were far from being Lavery fans. "If we could get started… Ryan, if you would like to make your pitch first…" Ryan nodded at the crowd as he paused in front of the podium.

Zach just sat back and listened as Ryan went on and on about Alexander's wishes for him to run Cambias Industries and how Ethan had hand picked him to be his second in command.

"Zach Slater has too much going on to give Cambias Industries its proper attention. The only thing I can see to do is for Zach to either give up control willing or for the shareholders to oust him from power and reinstate me immediately."

Ryan stepped back and sneered at Zach, thinking he had won. Zach sighed and pushed himself out of his chair. He leaned into the podium and looked over at Ryan. "He is right about one thing – I am stretched thin, but I'll be damned if I am going to willing hand over Cambias Industries to a criminal." The crowd started to murmur as Elizabeth made her way through the crowd with a box in her hands. She passed out copies of the same file to all of the shareholders and board members. She quickly made her way to the stage, pulling one last file out of the box, handing it to Ryan and smiling the entire time. Ryan flipped through the file and saw that he was sunk. He looked over the shareholders, seeing that they were finally realizing what he had been up to for the last few months.

Zach tore his eyes away from Ryan and turned his attention to the crowd. "For those of you who didn't receive a copy of the file, what it basically boils down to is that Ryan Lavery has been embezzling money for the moment he returned to power. He did it the last time he was in charge, right after my father died and he immediately started up again after my son named him as president of Cambias Industries. In all, I would say that Ryan Lavery managed to embezzle at least 3 million dollars during his time at Cambias."

The crowd erupted – reporters were shouting questions at Zach and Ryan, shareholders were demanding answers from the board members, while the board members yelled for someone to call the police immediately.

Ryan stormed up to Zach. "Where the hell did you get this information from?" he screamed, forgetting about the open microphone.

"From me" Ryan heard from behind Zach. The room quieted as Zach stepped back and Ryan came face to face with Leo DuPres. Kendall had been watching all of this from the back of the room and had to grab onto Babe and Simone when Leo entered the room.

"Oh my god…" Ryan said, shocked at seeing the man who was standing in front of him. Leo walked up the microphone and introduced himself. He launched into his story, the same story that he had told Zach a few days before.

"… and I just thought you all should know who the real Ryan Lavery is. He is nothing but a con-artist who will run Cambias Industries into the ground and walk with all the money before anyone realized what happened." Leo turned and walked over to Ryan, standing toe to toe with him. Ryan couldn't believe what was happening.

"But, Leo, why would you…"

Leo shoved Ryan, causing him to stumble back. "You don't get to screw with lives and get away with it. You don't get to play God and not have to pay for your crimes. You don't get to screw over the love of my life and live happily ever after." Leo could only grin as Derek Frye walked up behind Ryan and arrested him. The crowd quieted as Ryan was escorted through the room.

"He was right about one thing" one of the shareholders yelled from the front row. "Mr. Slater, you are too busy to give Cambias the attention it deserves. What are your plans now?"

Zach looked over at Leo and Elizabeth, who both nodded. "I don't want Cambias, not the day to day stuff. I never did. I've decided that I need someone I trust to run the company my father founded, the company that my son loved. I feel that Leo DuPres is that man – he'll be my proxy and is to immediately take over the day to day operations as President of Cambias Industries." The room erupted as light bulbs flashed and people screamed questions. Leo made his way back to the podium and started to answer questions as Zach slipped out the door, Kendall watching his every move.

* * *

Zach threw open the door to his office, let out a long breath. Saying those words, giving up the day to day operations of Cambias – it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

"You didn't tell me." Zach turned quickly to see Kendall standing in his door, staring at him with wide eyes.

"I didn't tell anyone, Kendall. I couldn't risk Lavery finding out what we had planned. Hell, today is the first time Leo has been out of his room since he came to town."

Kendall looked down at her shoes, trying to keep her emotions in check, but knowing it was futile as she looked back up at him. "So, is this how it's going to be – you cutting me out of your life."

Zach smiled at her, smiling brightly for the first time since before the Mardi Gras ball. "Not if you still want me, cause I swear to you Kendall, the Cambias curse and all the crap that comes with it stops here and now." Kendall smiled brightly at him and he was lost to her.

He dragged her out of the doorway, slamming it and pushing her against it, crushing his mouth to hers. He had missed kissing her and he had time to make up for. He plundered her mouth with his tongue, running his hands up and down her sides as she moaned and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He ripped his lips off hers and trailed hot kisses down her neck, running his tongue along her shoulder, pushing the strap of her dress off her shoulder.

Kendall didn't know it was possible to miss a man as much as she had missed Zach over the last few weeks. She had been so mad about the blackout, but she loved him too much to let him go. She knew they had a lot to work through, but for now, she just needed him. She pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders and he pulled his arms back, letting the jacket hit the floor. He pulled her flush against his body, pulling her off the ground as he ran his tongue up and down her neck. She wrapped her legs around his waist and ground herself into him, causing him to moan loudly.

He walked them over to the couch, landing with a thud as she straddled him. He ran his hands up and down her legs as she made quick work of his tie and dress shirt. As she ran his hands over his bare chest, he remembered what Dr. Madden had told him.

He pulled his hands off of her legs and cradled her face, forcing her to look him. "Kendall, what about the baby?"

Kendall just leered at him, running her tongue over her lips, causing his pulse to race. "I'm fine, he's fine, everything is fine. I just had an appointment. Now, shut up!" He laughed loudly as she slid off his lap and pulled her dress over her head. Zach could barely breath as she stood there in her heels, bra, and underwear, barely showing. "You are beautiful" he said as she sat down next to him. He slammed his eyes shut as she ran her hands along the waist of his pants, skillfully undoing the belt and zipper. He tried to keep his breathing under control as she slid her hands into his pants, resting them on his hips. "Help me out here" she whispered into his ear. He lifted himself up slightly, allowing her to pull the pants and boxers off of him in one single motion. She slid back on to his lap, rotating her lips against him. The feel of her silk panties about drove him over the edge.

He opened his eyes to stare into her desired filled face. He slid one hand into her hair and made quick work of her bra with the other, throwing it across the room. She pulled his face up to his, but he stopped short of kissing her again. "Our first time shouldn't be on the sofa in my office. I should take my time. I should kiss every inch of your body and…" Kendall silenced him with a kiss. She pulled back quickly, panting. "You can take your time later tonight, but I need you… right… now" she said seductively.

He was unable to resist her any longer. He assaulted her breasts, lavishing one with kisses then moving on to the other, leaving her breathless and on the brink. He pulled back and she pushed herself up on her knees, cocking her eyebrows at him. He wrapped one arm around her waist and bunched up her panties in his other hand, ripping them off her body. She quickly slid down onto him, moaning loudly as he entered her.

They barely moved in those first few moments, taking the time to look at each other. "I love you" Zach said, running his fingers through her hair. "I love you so much" Kendall said, slowly moving her hips around. Soon, they were lost to each other, pushing each other closer and closer to the edge.

* * *

"I can't believe he just took off like that" Elizabeth said, walking off the elevator. Leo just smiled. "Give him a break Elizabeth." They rounded the corner to his office. "I'm assuming he came up here to get away from the craziness" she said, raising her hand to knock on the door when they heard Kendall screaming Zach's name over and over again. Elizabeth pulled her hand down, looking over at Leo. They heard Zach moan loudly and couldn't help but to start laughing. Leo threw his arm over Elizabeth's shoulder, guiding her back to the elevator. "Guess we'll have that drink with him later." By the time the elevator arrived, they had to wipe the tears off their faces because of how hard they were laughing.

* * *

Zach pulled the cover off the back of the couch, laying them out on the couch, covering their bodies. He could barely breath, feeling like his heart could explode. He opened his eyes and looked at her. She had her eyes closed, smiling, trying to regain her senses.

"Are you alright?" he asked, pulling her closer. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "I want to get married" she said, quietly, searching his face for his reaction. "Never have more beautiful words been spoken" he said, pulling her in for a soul-searing kiss.

TBC... (in the epilogue)


	10. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **Thanks for reading. Glad you all enjoyed it.

* * *

The four of them were laughing over dinner the next night. The papers were consumed with stories about Ryan's arrest and Leo's return from the dead, so Zach closed the restaurant at the casino so they could have some dinner in peace. They were sipping on drinks when Zach saw Edie out of the corner of his eye. He excused himself and walked through the empty dining room and through the door of the restaurant. Sitting outside was the person he had been waiting for since his late night call last night.

'She looks nervous. I've never seen her look nervous ever' he thought to himself, smiling as she looked up at him. She twiddled with her fingers, unsure of what to do. He sat down next to her on the bench, waiting for her to feel comfortable.

"Thanks for calling" she whispered.

"Greenlee, it's the least I could do. Lord knows I didn't want you to see him in the paper without warning."

"And he's in there?" she asked, staring at the doors he had just come through.

Zach just nodded and waited, wanting her to make the first move. Slowly, Greenlee pushed herself off the bench, running her hands over her skirt, taking long breaths. "OK" she said to no one in particular. Zach quickly opened the door and led her inside.

"Looks like we have one more for dinner" Zach said as they rounded the corner. The conversation immediately ended as Greenlee laid eyes on Leo for the first time in over three years. Elizabeth and Kendall both stepped back from Leo, giving him room. The two of them just stared at each other. He looked her up and down, drinking her in. When he finally choked out her name, she dropped her purse and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and he pulled her off the floor and held onto her like his life depended on it.

Elizabeth slid up next to Zach. "You did this?"

"I had to" he said, never taking his eyes off the reunited couple. "I owe Greenlee that much." Elizabeth just nodded and slugged Zach on the arm, smiling brightly at him.

Kendall watched Greenlee and Leo from the bar, stunned at Greenlee's appearance. She thought she would never see her best friend again. Leo finally sat Greenlee down and she looked over at Kendall. Greenlee slowly crossed the room, staring at Kendall. Kendall was frozen to her spot, unsure if she should run or fight. Greenlee looked her up and down, stopping slightly on her growing stomach. As their eyes met again, Greenlee started to smile. The tears Kendall had been holding back started to fall as Greenlee pulled her in for a hug.

"I'm sorry about how I left" Greenlee whispered in her ear. Kendall was too overcome to form a coherent sentence. She just nodded and hugged her friend for all she was worth. Elizabeth looked up at her brother and saw the tears in his eyes. Leo walked over and wrapped his arms around both women and the three of them started to laugh. Just then, the wait staff came in with the platters of appetizers.

"Who's hungry?" Zach asked, walking over to the table with Elizabeth. Leo, Kendall, and Greenlee untangled themselves from each other. Zach pulled Kendall's chair out for her. She leaned in and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you" she whispered. "Anything for the love of my life" he replied, pushing her chair in as she sat down, dropping a light kiss on her shoulder.

* * *

Zach pulled open the doors for Kendall, who seemed to be moving slower the bigger the baby got. He waited patiently for her to catch up and smiled at her as she walked past.

"Stuff it Slater" she growled out, waddling past the rows of people to Greenlee and Leo. Zach waited for Kendall to sit down, but she pointed at him first. "You go. I need to be on the end." Zach laughed out loud and nodded in agreement. He sat down next to Leo. "I never realized how often a pregnant woman would have to use the bathroom" he said. Kendall whapped him on the shoulder. "I may be a big as a house, but I'm not deaf" she shot back at him. Zach just smiled and nodded, throwing his arm over Kendall's shoulders.

The judge entered and the courtroom became silent. Today was the sentencing for Ryan Lavery and everyone was on their toes. The case had been a slam dunk for the federal prosecutor and a guilty verdict came back just a few days after closing arguments. Ryan's defense team really pulled out all the stops for jury, to no avail. Zach just smiled at Ryan entered and glared at him. His eyes rested on Greenlee and he stopped walking, seeing her sitting with Leo, seeing him protecting her from him. This was the first time Greenlee had been to any part of Ryan's trial, but she insisted that she needed to see him one last time before moving on with her life, which seemed to be moving back towards Leo. She had returned to town, working in the PR department at Cambias Industries. Kendall looked over at her friend who just looked Ryan up and down once before looking away, never giving him her attention again. In this moment, Zach could see the look of a beaten man on Ryan's face and he knew it was over.

Zach just smiled – with the guilty verdict also came the loss to Ryan's parental rights. Zach had set his lawyers on it the minute he had been arrested. The superior court judge had been convinced easily that this man should not have parental rights to a baby that he didn't want in the first place and since he was more than likely going to be in jail for the foreseeable future, the judge agreed. Ryan's attorneys didn't put up much of a fight, which was very telling to Kendall.

They all sat and watched as the judge quickly handed down the 20 year sentence to Ryan. He declined when asked if he had any final words. As the guards led him away, he glanced over his shoulder one last time, looking at the four of them one last time before being led through the door. As Kendall hugged Greenlee, Zach pulled out his phone, quickly dialing. "Liz, it's me. Yeah, it's done. I'll have her call you later." Greenlee tapped him on the shoulder as he hung up the phone. "I think we need to celebrate."

"I think you are right" Zach responded, but they all stopped as Kendall moaned loudly. The three of them looked over at her and Greenlee started to laugh.

"Kendall?" Kendall just glared at her friend.

Greenlee looked back up at Leo and Zach. "Well, looks like that celebration is going to have a few hours, at least, since we need to take Kendall to the hospital." Leo and Zach looked at each other, finally realizing what Greenlee was saying. Leo started to yell for everyone to get out of the way as Greenlee and Zach helped Kendall out to the car.

Four hours later, Greenlee and Leo, along with Jackson and Erica, heard the first young wail come from William Hart Slater.

* * *

She heard a knock on the door and turned away from the mirror to see Bianca sticking her head through the door.

"I know you said no men, but…" she pushed open the door to reveal Will sitting on her hip. Kendall smiled as Bianca crossed the room with her son. "I wish I could hold you little man, but your obsession with pulling mommy's hair just won't work today." He dropped a kiss on his cheek and giggled as he smiled up at her.

"You ready?" Bianca asked. Kendall looked over herself one last time and sighed, smiling widely. "Let's get this show on the road." Together, they walked through the halls of the villa that Bianca had discovered right outside of Paris. Kendall fell in love with the place the minute they drove up three days ago, silently cursing herself for not completely trusting her sister to find the perfect location for this wedding. Bianca had every detail perfected, every flower the way Kendall wanted it – the sun even seemed to be shining just for her and Zach on this day. As they rounded the corner, Elizabeth jogged over and took Will from Bianca, hugging each of them lightly before taking her seat. Kendall just smiled and nodded as Bianca lined up in front of her.

First down the aisle was Greenlee, escorted by Leo, who were followed by Bianca and Myrtle. As the music changed and the doors opened, Kendall's eyes locked on Zach, you looked luscious in his tuxedo. It was like the rest of the world melted away as they locked hands. They never took their eyes off each other and as the ceremony closed, Zach planted a hotly inappropriate kiss on his wife, making sure she knew that this time, it was all real.

THE END


End file.
